FolderSizes

FolderSizes is a Windows utility for analyzing disk use across local and network storage. It suits home users who want more than a quick folder-size view, as well as IT teams that need repeatable scans and reports. Its broad analysis tools are compelling, but licensing sharply separates personal use from organizational deployment.

Overview

FolderSizes combines storage inspection with reporting and historical tracking. It can scan local and external drives, mapped network drives, UNC paths, and network shares, giving administrators a way to examine storage beyond a single workstation. For a one-time check, its visualizations and search are useful; recurring scans, email reports, and trend tracking make it more valuable for ongoing oversight.

Key features

Four visualizations—treemap, sunburst, bar, and pie—present storage distribution in different ways. File-type breakdowns and filters for age, name, attributes, size, owner, date, and depth-related criteria help narrow investigations. This is a stronger toolkit than a simple large-folder finder, particularly when the question is not just what is taking space but which files match specific conditions.

Reports export to Excel, PDF, HTML, CSV, and XML. Recurring scans can send automated email reports, while file-system snapshots and trend analysis track disk usage and folder sizes over time. Those features suit teams monitoring change; a user who only needs an occasional local scan may not need the additional reporting machinery.

The free edition has no time limit and includes four visualizations, reports, advanced search, and scan filtering. The free trial has no feature limitations, so buyers can evaluate the full feature set before committing. The free edition is a reasonable starting point for personal use, but organizations need a Pro license, and Pro upgrades include priority technical support and free minor version upgrades.

Pricing

Licenses are one-time purchases rather than recurring subscriptions. The Free edition costs nothing and has no time limit. The Personal Edition license is $30, paid once, with perpetual use on up to two personal computers and personal or home-network use only. It is unavailable to organizations and comes with lower-priority support, making it unsuitable for a business even if only one person will run it.

The Single-User Pro license is $60, paid once for one user and is suitable for servers, workstations, and company networks. For a small team, the 5-pack is $210, paid once and the 10-pack is $360, paid once; both are perpetual licenses, with stated discounts of 30% and 40%, respectively. These packs make more sense than buying single-user licenses individually when several users need the tool.

For broader deployments, the Site-Wide Pro license costs $700, paid once and permits unlimited users and installations within a single location or city. The Country-Wide Pro license costs $2,200, paid once for unlimited users and installations within the purchaser's country. The Enterprise-Wide Pro license covers unlimited users and installations globally within one organization and has custom pricing.

Consultants have separate terms: the Single-Consultant Pro license costs $499, paid once for one consultant using the software on up to five concurrent customer computers. The Multi-Consultant Pro license costs $1,399, paid once for up to five consultants and up to 15 concurrent customer computers. These caps matter for service providers; a standard personal license does not cover this use.

Platforms

FolderSizes runs on Windows, including for scans across external drives and network locations. Readers who need a macOS or Linux desktop tool should look elsewhere.

Who it's for

FolderSizes is best for Windows users who need detailed filtering, multiple ways to visualize storage, or exportable reports. Administrators and consultants get the most from its network scanning and repeatable reporting, provided they choose a Pro license matching their deployment. Home users can start with the no-time-limit free edition or choose the lower-cost Personal Edition when its two-computer, non-organizational terms fit.

Pros and cons

Pros: Scans local, external, and network storage, so analysis is not limited to one drive.

Pros: Four visualizations, detailed search filters, and five export formats support both investigation and reporting.

Pros: The free edition has no time limit, and the unrestricted-feature trial lets buyers assess Pro capabilities.

Pros: Perpetual Pro licenses include support and upgrade benefits, with options ranging from one user to global organizational deployment.

Cons: The Personal Edition cannot be used by organizations, so business users must pay for Pro.

Cons: Consultant licenses cap the number of concurrent customer computers, which may not fit larger service operations.

Cons: Windows is the only supported platform, ruling it out for Mac- or Linux-only environments.

Alternatives

Browse disk space analyzers to compare tools across the category. TreeSize is another Windows freemium option with a free plan and free trial. WizTree is worth considering for Windows or macOS users; it has a free plan and a $25 a month individual supporter code, with codes that do not expire. SizeTrend offers a Windows free tier centered on local-drive and folder analysis, with cleanup and storage recommendations. LumaDisk also has a free plan and trial for Windows and macOS users.

SpaceMonger is a paid Windows alternative with a free trial. Disk Usage Analyzer is a free Linux option for desktop disk-usage scanning. eDirStat spans Linux, macOS, web, and Windows; its itch.io download has a $4.99, paid once minimum price. Disk Analyzer Pro is a freemium alternative for Windows and macOS with a free personal edition that reports local-drive usage and duplicate files.

Verdict

Choose FolderSizes if you need a Windows storage analyzer that can cover network locations, filter detailed file sets, export reports, and track change over time. The unlimited-duration free edition makes it easy for personal users to begin, while the perpetual Pro tiers give organizations room to license from one user to a global deployment. Look elsewhere if you need macOS or Linux support, or if the Personal Edition's home-use restriction is the only price point that fits.